I had been following my kind for a while now, yet nothing significant had happened. Instead, one thing became increasingly clear, and that is the vast physical gap that exists between me and the others.
I was weaker. Slower. Smaller.
Compared to the majority of the others in the group, I was at the bottom of the hierarchy. The difference was undeniable. My desire to be as formidable as the alpha had only forced me to confront my shortcomings. The more I observed, the more glaring my disadvantages became.
The thought crossed my mind? What if I immediately invested all my stat points into agility and proved my worth right now?
But no, there was no need to be hasty. Doing that would indeed grant me the appropriate stats to somewhat keep up with them without feeling left behind.
However, a rash decision could likewise cost me later in ways I cannot imagine. For now, I could still keep up. I haven't lost sight of them yet, and that was enough for me to work with.
As we crawled across the barren ground, with nothing to do, a question surfaced in my mind, born out of curiosity, a desire to understand the alpha leading us.
What made him so dominant? Why did the others instinctively follow him? Was it sheer strength? Size?
I wanted to know what makes him tick if I too want to fulfil my goal of ticking.
The ability I knew that could help me out here is none other than;
[Comprehension]
The moment I activated it, a stream of information flooded my mind:
Race: Demon [Infant]
Species: [Demon Larva] – Lv. 6
The level alone was enough to explain everything. He was three levels higher than me. That meant he had more stat points, more power, more everything.
No wonder he was our leader. He was simply superior in every way.
The others naturally gravitated toward him because he was stronger. That was the law of this world.
Now I knew. If I wanted to be followed like he, I had to be superior in all forms and ways, I had to be better!
One after another, I used [Comprehension] on my kin, gathering more data.
Race: Demon [Infant]
Species: [Demon Larva] – Lv. 4
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Race: Demon [Infant]
Species: [Demon Larva] – Lv. 5
Race: Demon [Infant]
Species: [Demon Larva] – Lv. 4
Race: Demon [Infant]
Species: [Demon Larva] – Lv. 3
Race: Demon [Infant]
Species: [Demon Larva] – Lv. 3
Race: Demon [Infant]
Species: [Demon Larva] – Lv. 3
Race: Demon [Infant]
Species: [Demon Larva] – Lv. 3
A pattern emerged. The majority of them hovered around level 4, while the second-largest group consisted of level 3s. Only two stood out? one at level 5 and the alpha at level 6.
There were no level 1s or 2s.
I wondered… if I had been anything lower than level 3, would they have allowed me to follow them? Was that an unspoken rule?
It was a pointless thought. But I couldn't stop myself from dwelling on it.
More importantly, how had those two managed to reach levels 5 and 6? Did the others not question it? Because I did.
I wanted to know. I needed to know. If I could figure it out, it could be my ticket to also climb higher, and bring to life my desires.
And then, soon after, fate handed me my answer.
Up ahead, another group of larva-like demons appeared, crawling toward us from the opposite direction.
I hadn't expected this. It had never crossed my mind that there would be another group just like ours.
This was good news, right? If we joined forces, we'd be even stron—
But then, it happened.
CRACK!
Our alpha surged forward without hesitation. His massive form reared up and in one brutal motion, he stomped their leader into the ground.
I froze, my mind struggling to process what I had just witnessed.
But that wasn't the craziest part.
The moment he crushed the opposing alpha, something changed.
His level jumped.
Lv. 6 → Lv. 7
And then? Chaos erupted.
The demons in my group lunged forward, launching a savage assault on the opposing group.
The battle was a massacre.
I watched in stunned silence as my kin mercilessly trampled the others, crushing them beneath their hardened shells. Some used their own bodies as weapons, slamming into their foes with bone-cracking force.
At first, I didn't move. I was too stunned.
But then I noticed something, something crucial.
Each time one of my kin landed a fatal blow, they levelled up.
One after another, they grew stronger, faster, evolving before my eyes.
And suddenly, everything made sense. Pieces started to fall in place.
That's how the alpha had reached level 6 before I met him. That was the key to levelling up quickly.
To kill.
It wasn't a secret. Everyone else already knew. Everyone except me.
Now I knew, and I refused to be left behind.
Adrenaline surged through me as I charged forward, desperate to land my first kill. If I wanted to grow stronger, this was my chance!
However, the moment I faced my first opponent, I realized something.
I wasn't strong enough.
The enemy fought back, ferociously. They weren't just rolling over and accepting death. They lashed out, their attacks sharp and brutal.
I lacked the raw power to overwhelm them. Every attempt to land a finishing blow failed.
I needed to invest my stat points. That was the only way I could stand a chance.
But…
Something inside me hesitated.
No. Not yet.
A gut feeling told me not to be reckless.
I could still make this work.
If I couldn't overpower my enemies directly… then I would outmanoeuvre them. Or rather, I would steal kills!
That sounded a better option.
I shifted my strategy. Instead of attacking head-on, I watched. I studied the battlefield, analyzing every movement, every weakness.
Then—I saw my chance.
One of my kin had nearly finished off an opponent. The enemy was weakened. Down but not dead.
This was it.
I darted forward, closing the distance in an instant.
Before my kin could deliver the final blow, I would take it instead.
This was survival.
And I would do whatever it took to rise.